A Bot’s Opinion…
A person I follow and respect created an AI bot that will take your 3 favorite films and make some judgments about you and your writing…my comments are at the bottom.
Here’s what it said:
Analyzing the themes in "Pirates of the Caribbean," "My Favorite Year," and "Stranger than Fiction," we can identify a few key motifs that might resonate with your life and impact your writing. Here are some potential life themes:
1. **Adventure and Exploration**: All three movies embrace the idea of venturing into the unknown, whether it’s the high seas, the chaotic world of television, or the unpredictable nature of life itself. This suggests a theme of adventure in your life, a willingness to explore new territories and experiences, which can manifest in writing as a desire to push boundaries and explore diverse narratives.
2. **Identity and Self-Discovery**: Each film deals with characters who are on a journey of self-discovery. Jack Sparrow’s quest for freedom, Benjy Stone’s quest to prove himself, and Harold Crick’s journey to understand his own story all highlight themes of personal growth and self-realization. This might suggest a strong theme of identity in your writing, exploring how characters evolve and find their true selves.
3. **The Power of Storytelling**: All three movies emphasize the impact of stories, whether through the legendary tales of pirates, the behind-the-scenes chaos of a television show, or the metafictional narrative of Harold Crick’s life. This might suggest that storytelling is a central theme in your life, highlighting your appreciation for the transformative power of narratives and the role they play in shaping reality.
4. **Humor and Absurdity**: Each film intertwines humor with its narrative, using comedy to address deeper existential questions. This might indicate a theme of finding humor in the absurdities of life, reflecting a worldview that embraces irony and wit, and utilizing these elements in your writing to tackle complex themes in an accessible way.
5. **Fate and Free Will**: The characters often grapple with the tension between destiny and choice. Whether it’s the unpredictable adventures on the high seas, the scripted chaos of a live TV show, or the literary fate faced by Harold Crick, there’s an exploration of how much control individuals have over their own lives. This can be a reflective theme in your writing, delving into characters' struggles with destiny and autonomy.
These themes suggest that your writing may often explore adventurous narratives, delve into the complexities of identity, celebrate the art of storytelling, embrace humor, and question the balance between fate and free will. Understanding these themes can help you craft stories that resonate deeply with both you and your audience.
My reply
Well, it nailed the idea that storytelling is central to my core being. I respond to story. I create story. I respect story…and even in film, maybe especially in film, I find a good story will pull me in (like anyone being entertained) but also somehow give me a deep, vicarious experience. I agree with the bot’s assessment of my appreciation for the power of narratives.
I also feel powerfully about destiny v. choice. I can’t say that it’s decided for me, much as I wish I could say I was 100% into predestination or free will. I do think I get the most charge from heroic characters going against the grain for the greater good (especially their own greater good).
And I have been on a never-ending adventure trying to figure myself out. It’s the journey, not the destination, right? I think maybe that I wouldn’t even WANT to have too much spilled out, spelled out, spoiled for me. I don’t want to know when I’ll die or the cause of my death. Hell, I don’t even want to know what I’ll have for breakfast until that time has come.
So, much as I’d like to say the Bot is a bonehead, I think it’s pretty spot on.
